If you’re an eCommerce business owner, you’ve probably heard rumblings about Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) and how it can help you grow your business. But you might be wondering, What exactly is Amazon MCF, and how can it benefit my business? In this blog post, we’ll answer those questions and more.

Don’t have time to dig in? Here’s the short version:

TL;DR –> MCF

MCF is a fulfillment service that lets businesses fulfill orders from multiple sales channels, including Amazon, their own website, and other third-party platforms. The service has been in beta testing for almost a year and opened on January 31, 2023 to all eligible U.S. merchants.

So, how does MCF work?

Essentially, MCF uses pooled inventory stored in Amazon warehouses to fulfill orders via channels outside of the Amazon platform. So, if you’re a business owner who sells products on multiple platforms, MCF lets you streamline your fulfillment process, saving time and money.

One of the biggest advantages of this service is that it allows you to leverage Amazon’s extensive fulfillment network to fulfill orders quickly and efficiently. This is particularly beneficial for businesses that experience high levels of demand.

For brands already selling on the marketplace, MCF can simplify their fulfillment operations: Businesses can manage all their fulfillment needs from a single platform, improving the efficiency of their operations.

It also lowers the cost of fulfillment and shipping. Amazon leverages its massive logistics infrastructure to compete with large shipping carriers like FedEx, UPS, and USPS, which drives down shipping costs and provides a cheaper alternative to these big names.

Granted, there are some disadvantages to using MCF. For one, Amazon’s storage fees change frequently, and picking, packing, and shipping fees can be unpredictable. This can make it difficult for businesses to estimate their fulfillment costs.

Businesses must also meet certain eligibility requirements to qualify for MCF. One such criterion is maintaining minimum inventory levels in Amazon’s fulfillment centers, which can be challenging for businesses just starting out or that have limited resources.

W​ant the full details? Dig in below.

What is Amazon MCF?

The Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment service allows sellers to take advantage of the conglomerate’s fulfillment network to fulfill orders from external channels, such as their eCommerce websites or other marketplaces. MCF’s first-class fulfillment and shipping capabilities ensure customers receive their orders quickly and efficiently, regardless of where the orders are placed or sent.

The service works by integrating the seller’s non-Amazon sales channels with Amazon’s fulfillment network. When a seller receives an order from their eCommerce website or another marketplace, it’s passed to MCF, which then picks, packs, and ships the order to the customer. This eliminates the need for the merchant to manage their inventory or shipping processes, freeing them to focus on other aspects of their business.

MCF is particularly beneficial for sellers who have seasonal spikes in demand or who want to expand their sales channels without adding significant operational overhead. It also provides a consistent customer experience, as Amazon’s fulfillment network is known for its fast, reliable shipping and order handling.

To use MCF, sellers first need to set up their inventory in Amazon’s fulfillment network, either by sending their stock to an Amazon fulfillment center or by using Amazon’s FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) service. Once there, sellers can then adopt MCF to fulfill orders from their other sales channels.

Sellers are charged a fee for the service that includes the cost of picking, packing, and shipping orders, as well as storage fees to store their stock in Amazon’s fulfillment centers. However, the savings in time and resources merchants would otherwise have spent managing their fulfillment and shipping processes offset these costs.

How do MCF and FBA differ?

The main difference between Amazon MCF and FBA is the sales channels they support: The former allows merchants to sell products on marketplaces other than Amazon (primarily their eCommerce websites) while still leveraging Amazon warehouses for fulfillment. Meanwhile, FBA only fulfills orders from the Amazon marketplace.

T​his is huge for eCommerce professionals looking to grow their web presence and diversify their sales channels — especially those with unique product offerings on each channel.

Benefits of Amazon MCF

Amazon MCF’s greatest advantage is that it allows businesses to leverage the marketplace’s extensive fulfillment network, which improves the speed and reliability of their order fulfillment. This can be a lifesaver for businesses that experience high demand and need to guarantee prompt and efficient delivery.

For brands that already sell on Amazon’s platform, MCF can save time and reduce the complexity of their fulfillment operations. Businesses can manage all their logistical needs from a single platform, simplifying these processes.

For small to medium-sized sellers, Amazon MCF also cuts costs on fulfillment and shipping. Amazon leverages their massive logistics infrastructure to compete with large shipping carriers like FedEx, UPS, and USPS and drive down shipping costs.

Drawbacks of Amazon MCF

While there are many benefits to using Amazon MCF, there are also some downsides to consider. For instance, Amazon’s storage fees change often, and picking, packing, and shipping fees are known to be unpredictable, meaning costs can add up quickly.

Merchants may also be required to meet minimum inventory levels in Amazon’s fulfillment centers, which can be challenging for businesses just starting out or that have limited resources. Additionally, there’s little to no access to your inventory, and Amazon may move it without notice.

Lastly, Amazon doesn’t offer customization options for packaging, which can be a major deterrent for brands wanting to make an impression on their customers.

Who should use MCF?

Amazon (MCF) is a valuable service that can benefit a wide range of sellers who want to streamline their fulfillment processes and expand their sales channels, such as:

• Ecommerce retailers: If you have your own eCommerce website, using Amazon MCF can help you scale your business and reach a wider audience without having to build your fulfillment and shipping infrastructure. By integrating your website with Amazon’s fulfillment network, you can offer your customers fast, reliable shipping and handling, which improves their overall buying experience and increases customer loyalty.
• Multi-channel retailers: If you sell products on multiple marketplaces or channels like eBay, Walmart, and Shopify, you can streamline your fulfillment processes and manage all your sales channels from one central location on Amazon MCF. This helps reduce errors and shipping costs, as well as optimizes inventory management and order tracking.
• Seasonal sellers: For those who sell seasonal products or experience fluctuations in demand, Amazon MCF can help manage inventory more efficiently and avoid the costs of maintaining an internal fulfillment and storage infrastructure. Using Amazon’s fulfillment network, you can quickly ramp up or scale down your inventory as needed, without worrying about warehouse and shipping overhead.
• International sellers: Amazon MCF is highly beneficial for merchants who sell products to customers in different countries, as it reduces shipping costs and provides a better customer experience. Amazon has a global network of fulfillment centers so you can store your inventory closer to your customers and cut shipping times and costs. As a result, you’ll compete better with local sellers and improve your international sales.
• High-volume sellers: If you sell a large amount of products, Amazon MCF enables you to automate and streamline your fulfillment processes, which reduces errors, saves time, and improves customer satisfaction. Outsourcing your fulfillment to Amazon frees you to focus on other aspects of your business, such as marketing, product development, and customer service, while leaving the logistics to the experts.
• New sellers: News sellers just starting out can leverage Amazon MCF to gain momentum quickly with no significant up-front investment in fulfillment and shipping infrastructure necessary. By capitalizing on Amazon’s world-class fulfillment network, you can build your brand and gain a foothold in your market faster than it would normally take.

Whether you’re a small eCommerce retailer or a large multi-channel seller, Amazon MCF can reduce your overhead, improve customer satisfaction, and scale your business more efficiently. If you’re interested in learning more about Amazon MCF, visit the Amazon Services website.

Wrapping up — Hone your logistics with Amazon MCF

Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment is a great option to improve the efficiency and reliability of your fulfillment operations. However, first consider the potential costs and requirements associated with this service to determine how profitable it could be for your business. If you’re a U.S.-based merchant wanting to expand your sales channels and streamline your order fulfillment process, Amazon MCF might be the solution to take you to new heights.

You invest time, money, and other resources to ensure your eCommerce store’s website is easy to navigate and accessible, your products stand out, and your checkout process is seamless. This sets the stage for selling your products, but one major challenge remains: getting people to your site to convert them into customers.

Increasing your web traffic is an integral part of growing your online business. This requires you to follow digital marketing best practices to surpass your competitors and capture the interest of your potential customers and attract them to your website.

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Types of traffic

The web visitors who arrive on your website are referred to as “traffic.” Traffic can be direct, organic, or paid and come from multiple sources.

Direct traffic

Direct traffic doesn’t come from any referring website, such as when a customer types your URL into their search bar. If traffic comes from an unknown source, it can be categorized as direct traffic.

Organic traffic

Organic traffic finds your site via a search engine through unpaid means. It’s the result of your inbound marketing and SEO efforts.

Paid search traffic

Paid search traffic arrives from a paid search campaign you’ve launched on a search engine, such as Google or Bing. This is sometimes called pay-per-click (PPC).

Social traffic

This is traffic that comes from a social media platform, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

Email traffic

This is traffic generated through email campaigns.

Referral traffic

This type of traffic comes to your website from any site other than social media platforms or a search engine. Someone clicking over to your website from a hyperlink on a blog, for example, would be considered referral traffic.

In an ideal world, you’d have enough organic traffic sources feeding into your website to make paid avenues redundant. However, the reality is a good portion of your traffic — particularly in your early days — comes from paid sources, including pay-per-click.

What is PPC?

Pay-per-click is a digital advertising model in which you pay a fee each time a user clicks on one of your ads. This type of advertising is typically accomplished through search engines like Google and Bing, as well as on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. The goal of PPC is to drive traffic to your online store and convert those visitors into sales.

To ensure your audience converts and you achieve a high return on investment (ROI), you need to incorporate search engine optimization (SEO), rich keywords, and learn how to select the right ones.

The 411 on SEO

Search engine optimization is a method of improving the visibility of a website or page in a search engine’s unpaid results. The goal of SEO is to increase the quantity and quality of traffic to a website through organic search results. This can be achieved through a number of techniques, including optimizing website content, building backlinks, and conducting keyword research.

Both PPC and SEO are critical for eCommerce businesses because they work together to drive traffic to an online store and convert them into sales. PPC is a quick and effective way to get in front of potential customers, while SEO helps establish a business as an authority in its industry.

With PPC, eCommerce businesses can target specific keywords and demographics, which contribute to higher conversion rates. For example, if you sell running shoes, you could target keywords like “running shoes” and “athletic footwear” and display ads to users who’ve recently searched for those terms. You can also track the effectiveness of your paid ad campaigns, allowing you to optimize your ad spend, improve your ROI, and reduce your customer acquisition spend (CAC).

SEO is another crucial strategy, as it positions you as a credible source in your sector. By refining website content and building backlinks, you can improve your search engine rankings, resulting in increased visibility and more organic traffic. Meanwhile, conducting keyword research identifies the terms and phrases your target audience uses to find products like yours so you can optimize your site for those strings.

Combine PPC and SEO to drive even more traffic to your online store. For example, you could use PPC to drive immediate traffic to your website and work on SEO to improve long-term visibility. This helps you reach the right audience at the right time, which can yield higher conversion rates.

What are keywords?

Keywords are specific words or phrases that identify the main topic or theme of a piece of content. In SEO, keywords help search engines both understand the content of a website or page and determine how relevant it is to a user’s search query. They’re typically included in the title, header tags, and throughout the body of a web page. This is especially important on eCommerce sites, as the right keywords can capture your customers’ attention by highlighting product specifications.

Here’s how it works: When a user conducts a search on an engine like Google, the search engine’s algorithm scans the content of all the web pages it’s indexed to determine which ones are most relevant to the user’s input. The algorithm then looks for keywords on the page to understand the main topic or theme of the content, as well as other factors like the number of backlinks and the overall quality of the content.

For instance, if you sell women’s sneakers, incorporating keywords that highlight specific product features like color, brand, and gender will help you appear higher in the search results of a potential customer’s query.

As such, selecting the right keywords is crucial to improve your search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your site. Identify the keywords that are most relevant to your specific products so you can optimize your website content and meta tags to include them. This will help search engines understand your content and expand your store’s visibility in search results.

Types of keywords

You have different types of keywords to use in SEO, namely, long-tail, short-tail, and LSI (latent semantic indexing) keywords. Long-tail keywords are longer phrases that are specific and less competitive, while short-tail keywords are shorter and more generalized. LSI keywords, meanwhile, are semantically related to a main keyword and help search engines understand the context of their associated content.

How to do PPC keyword research

Keyword research is an ongoing process that helps businesses identify new keywords and understand how to optimize their content for them. Organizations can conduct research on their own, employ an outside hire, or adopt a tool to reduce the workload. Tools like Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush can determine the keywords that are most relevant to a business and reveal their search volume and competition.

Manual research

You can manually research keywords for your PPC campaigns that align with your product pages and business needs. If you’re unfamiliar with SEO and paid campaigns, this will require some work. Understanding the types of keywords and identifying those that relate to your product are important for optimizing your PPC campaigns and efforts.

Hire an SEO strategist

If your budget allows, hiring an SEO strategist or digital marketing manager is an excellent way to streamline your PPC campaign planning and SEO efforts. An internal hire will focus solely on optimizing your PPC efforts and will manage every aspect from research to implementation, monitoring, and measuring.

If you choose to research on your own or hire an SEO strategist, use these tips to ensure fruitful research:

1. Start with your products or services: The first step in researching keywords is to identify the products or services you want to promote. This will give you a starting point for your research and help you stay focused on relevant keywords. For example, if you sell clothing, your initial keywords might include “clothes,” “apparel,” “fashion,” and specific clothing items such as “dresses,” “jeans,” and “t-shirts.”
2. Analyze your competitors: Turn to your competitors’ websites and PPC campaigns for a source of information. Look at the keywords they target and see if any of them align with your products or services. You can also use tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs to see which keywords your competitors rank for in organic search.
3. Consider long-tail keywords: Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases that often convert better than short, broader keywords. For example, “women’s cocktail dresses” is a long-tail keyword that hones in on narrower search queries. Long-tail keywords can help you reach a more targeted audience and increase conversions.
4. List negative keywords: Negative keywords are those you want to exclude from your campaigns. For example, if you sell clothing for women, avoid keywords like “men’s clothing.” This will prevent you from wasting ad spend on irrelevant keywords.

Employ a tool like the PPC Keyword Generator

A variety of keyword research tools exist to help you identify relevant keywords. Though costly, they can take on much of the heavy lifting of keyword research.

Some popular options include Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and Ahrefs. These tools have you enter seed keywords related to your products or services, then they generate a list of related keywords to help you further refine your research. Another option is the MyFBAPrep PPC Keyword Generator, which is easy to use, cost-effective, and operates anywhere as often as you want.

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Outsource to an agency

If the thought of managing your keyword research, PPC campaigns, and SEO in-house cause you stress, consider outsourcing to an agency that specializes in SEO and digital advertising. This is likely the most expensive option on our list, but it comes with the reassurance that you have an expert team handling your SEO and PPC needs.

Another drawback, though, is it can slow your business operations. Many agencies have established service-level agreements (SLAs) with set turnaround times for requests. This can impact your ability to be nimble in switching up keywords or entire campaigns, as it may require you to go through the agency’s official channels.

Wrapping Up

Researching keywords for PPC can be a time-consuming task, but it’s important to do it correctly to produce successful content and campaigns. By following these tips and identifying the best keywords for your business, you’re more likely to reach the right audience, increase conversions, and drive more sales for your eCommerce business.

Finding your PPC words is a critical component, but the work doesn’t end there. Once you’ve identified and implemented your selections, it’s important to monitor your campaigns to see which keywords perform well and which don’t. Analyze the data from your campaigns to adjust your strings as needed and optimize your PPC campaigns for better performance. As a result, you’ll reduce your CAC, streamline your marketing efforts, and increase your ROI.

M​yFBAPrep co-founder Taylor Smits knows a thing or two about scaling an Amazon business — after all, he and fellow co-founders Bart and Tom help customers do just that on a daily basis.

From tools to partners to Amazon’s inner workings of Amazon, Taylor’s seen it all over the course of his career. Prior to founding MyFBAPrep, Taylor cultivated his eCommerce experience for almost 10 years. After, he broke into dropshipping in the pet industry, then private label, and finally wholesale before launching MyFBAPrep with his co-founders.

During that time, Taylor learned how easy it is to become hyper-focused on certain elements of your business. But, to scale your eCommerce business, it’s critical you take a step back and look at the big picture. This means identifying ways to streamline and optimize your operations to enable you to accomplish more.

Outsourcing your logistics is an incredibly effective way to do this.

Taylor sat down with our friends at Sales Funnel HQ to talk about scaling your Amazon business, explaining how partners like MyFBAPrep can help eCommerce professionals build momentum, expand faster, and blast their business goals out of the water. The video below was recorded in 2020, but the insights are still relevant today. No time to watch? Read on for the inside scoop!

Take stock of your business

As an eCommerce business owner, you’re probably always on the lookout for ways to grow and scale your business. A key strategy for achieving this is to take stock of your operations and find ways to outsource certain tasks or processes. Outsourcing can help you streamline your business to increase efficiency and, ultimately, drive growth.

Outsourcing tasks:

• Frees up time and resources to refocus on core competencies and strategic priorities. You’re able to work on growing your business instead of being bogged down by administrative or low-value tasks.
• Reduces costs by leveraging the expertise and resources of external vendors and service providers.
• Gives you access to specialized skills and technologies you may not have in-house. For example, you could outsource your marketing or IT functions to experts in those areas, rather than try to build those capabilities internally. Meanwhile, outsourcing your Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) prep ensures your Amazon orders are properly packaged and stored at Amazon prep centers and warehouses across the country — one less thing for you to think about.

This can result in faster, more effective solutions and give you a competitive advantage in your industry.

• Helps you manage risk and uncertainty by spreading your business across different providers or geographies. Diversifying your vendor base reduces the impact of any individual partner’s failures or disruptions. As a result, you maintain business continuity and are able to meet the needs of your customers without interruption.

Taking stock of your business and finding ways to outsource can be key stepping stones for scaling your business. The advantages outsourcing provides enable you to position your business for long-term success and growth.

Partner with Amazon prep services

Enjoy more time and resources to focus on critical aspects of your business operations with an Amazon prep service. Instead of spending hours packaging and labeling products, sellers can use that time to research new suppliers, develop better products, or work on their marketing strategies.

Third-party prep centers offer several other advantages that can help eCommerce businesses stand out on the Amazon platform: For one, they ensure products comply with Amazon’s strict standards, which can be difficult and time-consuming to navigate on your own. Additionally, because they handle a large volume of products, these centers often have access to more competitive shipping rates, which can save businesses money in the long run.

How an Amazon prep service benefits your business

An Amazon prep service can be beneficial for businesses experiencing high sales volume or struggling with their fulfillment process. This is especially true for both FBA and FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant) sellers (the former use Amazon’s fulfillment service while the latter handle fulfillment on their own).

Notably, the most successful eCommerce businesses often use a combination of the two services. A popular recommendation is to dedicate 75% of your inventory to FBA and 25% to FBM; this provides a backup option during episodes of longer shipping times or reduced inventory limits with FBA, while also helping to diversify and reduce risk.

With FBA, sellers can take advantage of the Prime badge, which is only available for products fulfilled by Amazon. Displaying the Prime badge on your products can increase conversion rates among customers. FBM doesn’t offer the Prime badge, so these items may prove less attractive to potential buyers.

When choosing an Amazon prep service, it’s essential to consider a few factors to ensure you find the right partner for your business:

• Search the service’s locations. Selecting a facility near your suppliers or customers can reduce shipping times and costs.
• Look for a prep service with experience handling products similar to yours. For example, if you sell fragile items, you’ll want to make sure your partner has a successful track record of packaging and shipping fragile objects properly.
• Research the level of customer service provided. You want a partner who’s responsive and communicates well, especially if issues arise with your products.

Wrapping up — Take your Amazon business to new heights with an Amazon prep service

Outsourcing can be a powerful strategy for eCommerce businesses looking to streamline operations, reduce costs, and drive growth. FBA prep especially would benefit from outsourcing, as it saves time, reduces risk, and ensures you comply with Amazon’s strict standards.

MyFBAPrep offers a range of services to help you navigate the complexities of FBA product prep, including labeling, packaging, and storage. By partnering with MyFBAPrep, you can focus on what matters most: growing your business and reaching more customers on the Amazon marketplace. So, take the first step towards scaling your business by partnering with MyFBAPrep for all your FBA needs.

Today’s fast-paced business world forces companies to look for ways to improve their sales and grow their customer base constantly — all while working to remain competitive in an ever-growing industry. One of the most effective ways to do this is through multi-channel selling.

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The basics of multi-channel selling

Multi-channel selling is the practice of selling products or services through multiple channels, such as online marketplaces, social media platforms, and a company’s own website. For eCommerce professionals, multi-channel selling allows them to reach a wider audience and increase sales by leveraging the advantages of different platforms.

One of the key benefits of this approach is the diversification of revenue streams: Selling on multiple platforms helps merchants reduce the risk of relying on a single source of income. For example, if an eCommerce business only sells on its website and it experiences technical difficulties, the business could lose a significant amount of revenue. However, if they also sell on other platforms, the business can still generate profit even if the main website goes down.

This approach also reaches a wider audience. Online marketplaces like Amazon and Etsy have millions of active users, providing eCommerce brands with a large potential customer base. Additionally, social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook allow businesses to connect with customers through targeted advertising and social media marketing.

The power of multi-channel selling

As mentioned above, taking a multi-channel approach to your sales unlocks new audiences. If you’ve previously sold through your own website and a brick-and-mortar location, adding a large marketplace to the mix will bring you hundreds of thousands of new potential customers almost instantly. Amazon is an especially rich source of leads since, according to Insider Intelligence, 61% of U.S. shoppers start their product search on the platform.

With each channel you add, you increase your brand awareness to drive sales. You also tap into new customer segments, such as those who prefer to buy through social media or shop multiple brands at once in a marketplace setting. The revenue from each channel thus contributes to your business’s overall growth.

By launching several channels, you’re able to meet your customers where they are as well. You can track your target audience throughout their buying journey in each channel and enhance customer segmentation for better targeting down the road.

Multi-channel inventory management: An overview

Multi-channel inventory management involves monitoring your company’s stock levels, tracking sales and orders, and ensuring that products are in stock and available for purchase across your various channels.

Managing inventory can be challenging, and every additional sales channel increases that complexity exponentially. This makes effective inventory management critical to multi-channel success. A solid inventory management and tracking system can ensure you have enough inventory to meet customer demand while also lowering the risk of stockouts or overstocking. Additionally, effective inventory management can reduce operations costs by minimizing waste and maximizing efficiency.

How to track your inventory

Maintaining accurate and up-to-date information about the products you have in stock helps you make informed decisions about restocking, pricing, and even promotions. It also avoids stockouts, which can lead to lost sales or, worse, lost customers.

If a customer orders a product that’s out of stock, it can lead to lost sales and damage your reputation. Worse, if this occurs frequently, customers will simply go elsewhere. With accurate inventory information, you can quickly identify which products are running low and restock them before they sell out.

You also gain a clear understanding of which products sell well and which don’t. Based on this information, you can then adjust your purchasing and marketing strategies. For example, if you notice a particular product is selling quickly, you may want to order more of it or increase its price. Conversely, if a product moves slowly, you might choose to reduce its price, add it to bundles to get rid of that stock, or simply discontinue it altogether.

In addition to helping you make better decisions about your products, inventory tracking also improves your cash flow management. When you know exactly how much inventory you have and how fast it sells, you can better predict when you’ll need to restock and how much money you’ll need to do so. This allows you to plan ahead and avoid unexpected (or unnecessary) expenses, as well as having too much stock of a slow-moving item due to premature ordering.

Inventory tracking typically employs inventory management software. These systems allow you to track your stock levels in real-time, generate reports, and even set up alerts for when your stock levels drop below a certain threshold. As a result, you’ll stay on top of your inventory and ensure you have the products your customers want in stock.

The basics of inventory management software

The market is flooded with multifarious inventory management software. However, the most important functionality to look for is the ability to update in real-time (or as close to real-time as possible). This allows you to remain up to date on your stock levels at all times.

Introducing: The Inventory Tracker Tool by MyFBAPrep

The MyFBAPrep Inventory Tracker tool allows you to track your inventory across multiple channels without the hassle of manually updating everything.

Simply enter the date on which you performed an inventory check and mark the product check complete when finished. Then, enter how frequently you run checks to see when to do it again. In the Products Overview section, you’ll see the number of items in your inventory, their total value, and any items that need to be restocked.

Each time you perform an inventory check, reset the date and checkboxes and repeat the steps above. You can quickly run your inventory reports in your inventory management software and plug those numbers into the tool to gain a bird’s-eye view of your overall inventory with ease.

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Best practices for inventory control

To manage inventory across multiple channels effectively, it’s important to follow best practices, which we’ve outlined below.

Regular inventory checks

A key action when tracking your inventory is to conduct regular inventory audits. An inventory audit is a comprehensive review of your current inventory levels, including the quantity and condition of products, as well as the accuracy of your inventory records. Conducting these regularly will help you identify any discrepancies or errors in your inventory records and verify that your inventory levels are accurate and up to date.

S​ales forecasting

Sales forecasting involves predicting future sales based on past sales data and market trends. This ensures you have the right amount of inventory on hand to meet customer demand. As such, forecasting helps you avoid stockouts and be able to accommodate customer needs in a timely manner.

The ABC analysis of inventory

ABC analysis is a method of classifying items into three categories (A, B, and C) based on their importance to a business. Items in category A are considered the most important and should be closely monitored and managed, while items in category C are deemed the least important and need less attention. Categorizing products will help you prioritize your inventory management efforts and focus on the items that are most important to your business.

A​void stockouts

It’s important to maintain minimum levels of inventory to avoid stockouts. Stockouts occur when a business runs out of a product and is unable to fulfill customer orders. By holding a base amount of inventory, you can ensure you always have enough stock on hand to meet customer demand.

Employ first-in, first-out

A helpful strategy for intelligent inventory management is the first in first out (FIFO) method. This approach ensures the oldest products are sold first to avoid expiration. It also reduces waste and ensures customers receive only fresh products.

Wrapping up — Track your inventory accurately for seamless sales

Multi-channel selling is a powerful strategy for eCommerce professionals, as it diversifies revenue streams and reaches a wider audience. However, managing multiple sales channels can be time-consuming and requires additional resources. To be successful, merchants must have a solid strategy in place and be willing to invest the time and effort required to manage several channels.

One key element is creating a robust inventory management system. This entails combining regular inventory checks with stock planning, analysis, and reliable software to gain a clear overview of your holdings and identify current and potential problems. By following the best practices we’ve outlined in this article, you can effectively track and manage your inventory and meet customer demand in a timely manner.

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Most entrepreneurs go into eCommerce to sell products and ideally build an online sales empire — not spend their time dealing with legal documents. However, every business, no matter its size or niche, has to manage the legal side of operations, and your eCommerce website, services, and products are no exception.

eCommerce websites aren’t required to have a Terms and Conditions page, which can lead sellers to assume (incorrectly) that these limitations are unimportant.

This is far from true.

In this article, we’ll explore what terms and conditions are in the business world, why you need them, and how to write clear terms of service that protect both you and your customers.

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Terms & Conditions: A quiet but powerful defense

You’ve chosen your business name and logo, picked the products you’ll sell, and built and/or customized your online store. On the back end, you’ve decided which payment types you’ll accept, how you’ll handle fulfillment and shipping, and your marketing messages.

After so much careful planning, you have to protect your hard work and your business from legal harm. This is why it’s crucial to establish your online store’s terms and conditions.

Terms and conditions (T&Cs) are legal agreements between a goods or services provider and their customers. The provider, in this case, an eCommerce merchant explains them, and the customer who wishes to purchase goods agrees to them.

A​ T&Cs page outlines the responsibilities of both parties, which can include information on shipping, returns, payments, and other relevant details related to the sale of goods or services on your website. Having clear and concise terms of service can protect you, the merchant, and the website owner, from potential legal issues by specifying the conditions of the sale and addressing potential areas of dispute. T&Cs also protect your customers by outlining their rights and what they can expect from you.

Protect your business

Probably the most important reason to have a T&Cs page is to protect yourself. The eCommerce industry is growing quickly, and defending your business against the competition is imperative. For example, y​our terms and conditions may lay out specific restrictions related to the resale of your products.

They can also vary by country and even from state to state. Some countries and governing bodies like the European Union maintain laws that require websites to have certain disclosures and agreements in place. These include returns and privacy policies, which are taken very seriously. Failure to comply with these laws can result in fines or penalties, so you must ensure your T&Cs page is both up-to-date and in compliance with the relevant laws wherever you do business.

Establish your rules

You’re required to abide by the laws of the countries and states where you sell. However, you set your own rules when you clearly define the terms and conditions of your store. Depending on the types of products you sell, you may choose to have stricter rules than those set out by the governing bodies in the jurisdictions where you operate. These may include:

• C​opyright conditions
• A​ge limits (legal age of majority in various jurisdictions)
• Governing law of contract (varying by state, province, country, etc.)

What to include in your T&Cs:

When creating terms and conditions for an eCommerce website, it’s important to include the following elements:

D​efinitions of all parties and relevant information related to the sale of products or services

Clearly define the parties involved in a sale. For example, your customer becomes a “Buyer” and you may choose to list yourself as a “Seller” or perhaps “The Company.” Other definitions you can include are:

• C​ontract (purchase order)
• Contract price (the price your customer agrees to pay when completing their order)
• Products (the items you sell)
• Terms and conditions (what they encompass regarding your store)

A clear explanation of the products or services sold

While you don’t need to describe every product you sell, you should feature a concise overview of your products and services in your T&Cs. For example, ERIKS North America, an industrial supplier of hydraulic hose, gasket, and conveying system solutions, simply describes “Products” as “the equipment, parts, materials, supplies, and other goods Seller has agreed to supply to Buyer under the Contract.”

If you offer a warranty or a promise of satisfaction, such as a 30-day money-back guarantee, it’s important to define their terms here as well.

Information on how to place orders

Explain the ways your customers can purchase your products or services. As a seller, you may choose to include a note on all of the platforms where you sell products as singular T&Cs for your company that encompasses everything. For example, if you sell on your website as well as in a physical store, you can describe the nuances of sales. In this case, you may opt to accept Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit cards, and Paypal for online orders and allow your customers to pay with credit, debit, or cash in-store.

Other special payment arrangements, like Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS), should be outlined and described here as well. You may also choose to offer Buy Now, Pay Later, or “layaway” style payment plans. Each payment type may have its unique conditions: For example, if your customers decide to pay for products in installments, you can elect not to ship the product until you receive the full payment.

Shipping and handling details

Nowadays, customers have high expectations for shipping timelines and costs, and they commonly look at delivery fees and schedules before they buy. Your terms and conditions page is an excellent place to lay out all relevant information related to this topic.

One important element to note here is the limits of liability once an item has shipped. Do you provide insurance coverage on products, or will customers need to pay for that protection? Detail this information and make it readily available to your customers to minimize confusion and shipping issues.

You can also name the shipping carriers you use if you desire, which may vary by country. Be sure to outline the estimated shipping times for domestic and international shipping as well (and whether or not you ship outside of the country).

Returns and refunds criteria

Y​our returns and refund policy is one of the most important components of your eCommerce strategy, so your T&Cs must adequately describe how you handle this process. Communicate the requirements for a purchase to be eligible for a refund, such as a specific time frame, unopened condition, or other factors.

You must also thoroughly describe the process of your refunds, including whether or not you’ll issue a refund or give a store credit, the timeline for processing returns and refunds, and the avenues of recourse customers have if their refund fails to come through.

A disclaimer regarding the accuracy of product descriptions and pricing

Likely, you’ve purchased an item online only for it to arrive and fail to live up to your expectations based on how it looked on the website. Most of us understand how colors and textures can appear differently on different screens. For this reason, a disclaimer regarding potential inaccuracies in products can offer you protection as a seller.

Further, a limitation of liability statement covers you in the event there are mistakes in your website content. This is especially important if you feature third-party content like consumer reviews. You can include a note regarding aspects like derogatory content or offensive postings from others and how this is outside of your control.

Your privacy and security policies

Customers care deeply about their safety and privacy online. Moreover, many countries now require all eCommerce sites to abide by specific restrictions related to privacy and security; companies must publish such policies and make them easily accessible to shoppers. With this in mind, it’s no longer just a best practice but a legal requirement for you to include a privacy and security policy in your online store’s terms and conditions.

A description of your website’s terms of use

Insert a section that details the terms of use for your website, including the prohibited use of images or written content without consent. Want to prevent browsers from repurposing your logo for their own use? Establish rules in your terms of use and highlight whether or not users are permitted to access and use content from your website (i.e., written text, graphics, data, images, logos, and video clips). This section is your chance to set clear restrictions for copying and/or reproducing content from your websites.

Copyright

Copyright information is sometimes rolled into the “Permitted Use” section of the terms of use. Always include a notice about copyright and trademark to protect your brand and content. The best part is, it’s really easy: Simply state, “Copyright © [current year],” followed by your website’s URL.

Your company’s contact information

Methods of contact are among the most important information to include in your terms and conditions (and on your website in general). Explain how customers can get in touch with you if there are issues with their purchases, remembering to include your customer service hours and days of operation.

Give as much information as possible to maintain open communication channels. You can and should include your company’s:

• M​ailing address
• Email
• Phone number
• F​ax number (if applicable)
• Hours of operation (in local time)
• D​ays of operation
• Standard response times (e.g., within X business days of receiving an email or message)

A statement about the governing law of the agreement and the jurisdiction in which disputes will be resolved

Describe where your website operates relative to governing law (i.e., state, province, or country). For example, if your company operates from Florida, you may write something like, “These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of the United States of America and the laws of the State of Florida.”

A section on dispute resolution

In the event a conflict arises with a customer, it’s important to have a clear outline of the process for resolving legal disputes and to define the available channels of arbitration or mediation should this occur. (This may vary based on jurisdiction.)

Having clear and easy-to-understand terms and conditions helps establish trust with your customers and ensures they understand their rights and responsibilities when using your website. However, consider seeking legal advice to ensure your terms and conditions comply with all relevant laws and regulations.

How to write robust T&Cs

We’ve detailed why you need a Terms and Conditions page and what to include, so you’re probably wondering where to begin to craft your own. Your options are simple: You can do it yourself, outsource the writing to a lawyer or underwriter, or leverage a tool to do the heavy lifting for you.

Write it yourself

Unless you enjoy writing and have strong attention to detail, drafting your terms and conditions on your own can be an exercise in patience. Writing is a time-consuming activity, and T&Cs add a higher degree of technicality than found on a standard product page or website. For this reason, it’s easy to leave gaps that could make you susceptible to issues down the road.

Hire a lawyer or underwriter

Because it’s a legal document, you might feel more comfortable outsourcing the creation of T&Cs to a lawyer or legal underwriter who can manage the writing and editing of your document. Of course, this comes at a (usually hefty) fee.

Lawyers often charge in the hundreds of dollars per hour and many have a minimum hourly requirement, meaning that, even if it takes less than 10 hours to write, you’re required to pay for all 10 as part of their terms and conditions. The same can go for a legal underwriter, though costs may be lower.

In addition, when you hire a lawyer or underwriter, you’ll need to agree to a timeline for the deliverables. This can be a quick turnaround, or it could be lengthy depending on their workload and standard service-level agreements.

Leverage tools

If you’d rather avoid the hassle of writing your T&Cs page on your own and lack the budget to hire a lawyer or underwriter, you can rely on a platform or tool to create unique terms and conditions page content for you. MyFBAPrep’s Terms and Conditions Generator enables you to craft a custom T&Cs page for your website quickly and easily.

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You simply enter your relevant company information, and the tool produces an easy-to-read and comprehensive T&Cs document that’ll protect your business from potential issues. Simply make a copy of the linked document, fill in your company information, and let the tool do the rest!

Wrapping up — Create airtight terms and conditions for secure business ops

A Terms and Conditions page is an important component of your eCommerce website. It’s an effective way to protect you and your business from potential disputes by clearly detailing the responsibilities of both you, the seller, and your customers, the buyer. They also establish the rules of engagement between you and your customers. We recommend including a link to your T&Cs on every product page and in your marketing and post-sale emails to ensure your customers have easy access to them at any time.

Although these terms aren’t required by law in every jurisdiction, more and more countries are demanding elements of the traditional terms and conditions document — in particular, privacy and security policies. As such, it’s critical for you to have a legally binding document in place if you plan to scale your business. Failure to have a Terms and Conditions page or comply with laws can result in fines or penalties in some cases. Once you have your T&Cs page, update it regularly and ensure it complies with the relevant laws that govern the markets where you sell.

Boasting more than 4.1 million live stores and more than $590 billion generated on the platform since its inception, Shopify is one of the best eCommerce solutions on the market.

So, it’s not surprising that setting up a successful Shopify store is a dream for many. But what happens when you outgrow the platform or want to expand beyond Shopify?  From online marketplaces to website builders, there’s a growing list of eCommerce platforms you can tap into to shape your eCommerce dreams. To help you make an informed decision, we’ll break down some of the best options in this article.

Website Builders and Checkout Platforms

1. Wix

Top Features:

• Storefront builder: Wix offers mobile-optimized sites you can customize to your liking to create a memorable customer experience from the storefront to the checkout.
• Wix SEO Wiz: Lay a solid foundation for your SEO efforts with Wix’s advanced SEO tool that helps you create a personalized and well-rounded SEO strategy.
• Logo maker: Don’t have a logo? As a Wix user, you can use the Wix Logo Maker to craft professional logos to brand your store easily. This tool also comes with a library to get shoppers inspired.
• Vector Art Media Gallery: Choose from thousands of hand-crafted illustrations from icons to typography and more.
• Members’ Area: Build a community around your products with Wix’s Members area, which allows your audience to create profiles and engage with one another.

Pricing:

eCommerce businesses can pick from Business Basic ($17 per month), Business Unlimited ($25 per month), and Business VIP ($35 per month).

Best for:

Newbie sellers, stores with small portfolios, and businesses with minimal design skills.

2. BigCommerce

Top Features:

• Customizable themes and headless commerce setup: Set the right tone for your store by selecting one of BigCommerce’s many themes and tailoring it to fit your brand personality.
• Expansive data storage limits: Got a large portfolio? No problem! BigCommerce offers unlimited file storage with some plans and has a large bandwidth to manage high-traffic volumes.
• One-page checkout process: Tap into the power of optimized checkouts with BigCommerce’s simplified order processing system. This feature reduces friction in the buying process, like lengthy forms, to skyrocket conversions.
• Product variants: From color swatches to different sizes, BigCommerce allows you to show display different product options visually to capture more sales.
• Coupon features: BigCommerce allows users to offer customer favorites like discount codes and vouchers to improve sales.
• Bulk pricing: Whether you want to offer a bundle or kit. BigCommerce makes the process simple. The Bulk Pricing feature allows you to encourage shoppers to buy larger quantities of goods by offering bulk discounts.

Pricing:

The Standard Plan is $29.95 per month, the Plus Plan costs $79.95, and Pro Plan comes in at $299.95 per month.

Best for:

Fast-scaling brands and enterprise-level brands.

3. Ecwid

Top Features:

• Embeddable storefront: Already got a website? Make the most out of it by adding online store shopping features to it using Ecwid.
• Subscriptions: Ecwid equips users to leverage recurring subscriptions and billing to increase their revenue, boost customer satisfaction, and scale on autopilot.
• Centralized controls: Manage every aspect of your store from one simple dashboard.
• No transaction fees: Unlike other eCommerce platforms, Ecwid doesn’t charge transaction fees, meaning more money in users’ pockets.
• Multiple store language options: Localization is huge for cross-border selling, which is what makes Ecwid’s multilingual catalog feature so special. Increase your store’s resonance by tweaking languages to fit the audience.

Pricing:

Ecwid offers a forever-free plan.

Billed annually, the costs for Ecwid are; $14.08 per month for the Venture plan, $29.08 per month for the Business plan, and $82.05 per month for the Unlimited plan.

Monthly billing is also available.

Best for:

Businesses looking to start selling quickly, multichannel businesses.

You’ve got a great store. Get great fulfillment with MyFBAPrep.

4. BigCartel

Top Features:

• Payment processor integrations: BigCartel allows you to make transactions via Stripe or PayPal. You’ll only be liable for the fees this platform charges as BigCartel doesn’t add payment processing charges.
• Easy to use setup: Simple interface, easy-to-understand navigations, and stylish themes make it very easy to set up and start selling fast
• Business insights: paid plans offer inventory tracking and Google Analytics integrations to help you understand your sales and make informed decisions.

Pricing:

Big Cartel offers a (Gold) free plan, a $9.99 per month Platinum plan hosting up to 50 products, and a Diamond plan hosting up to 500 products.

No listing fees apply to the latter two plans.

Best for:

Beginner online sellers, independent creatives, and solopreneurs.

5. Adobe Commerce, formerly Magento

Top Features:

• Onsite optimization made easy: Adobe Commerce offers a suite of drag-and-drop tools that create content that’s intuitive to use, personalized assets for specific customer segments, and update content assets fast.
• Product recommendations: Using a drag-and-drop builder and AI-backed tools, users can create groups of product recommendations to display in key touchpoints to drive conversions
• Inventory management solutions: Understand your business stock needs and customer buying behavior with real-time stock data so you can distribute stock to the right locations on time.
• Flexible fulfillment options: Whether you need to ship to a customer’s home or office or arrange a store pickup, you can handle the entire process on the platform with real-time inventory data and sourcing algorithms that accelerate fulfillment.

Pricing:

At present, Adobe Commerce offers two plans; Commerce Pro and Managed Services.

Get in touch to secure pricing.

Best for:

Medium-sized to enterprise-level eCommerce and multichannel businesses.

6. Weebly

Weebly is a web hosting and website builder which specializes in helping businesses create online stores, blogs, and websites stress-free.

Top Features:

• Design customizable themes: With Weebly’s comprehensive theme library users have countless sources of inspiration and guidance on how to style their store.
• Powerful free plan: Weebly allows you to create a website that turns heads without footing the bill.
• Easy website creator: Weebly’s drag-and-drop builder makes putting together websites easy.
• Integrated marketing and analytics: Store owners can monitor the metric on their offers and inventory and guide their strategy. You can also integrate marketing solutions.

Pricing:

Weebly’s basic plan is free. When billed annually, the Connect plan is $10 per month,  the Pro plan is $12 per month, and the Business plan is $25 per month.

Best for:

eCommerce businesses looking for simple software to get started on.

7. PinnacleCart

Top Features:

• Customizable designs: PinnacleCart’s open-source nature means users can adjust, add, and remove code to create a unique store. Users can also tap into the page builder tool to craft tailored pages.
• Professional templates: BigCommerce doesn’t leave you to fend for yourself when it comes to design and layout. Pick from 100’s of templates to get set up fast.
• Store analytics: PinnacleCart’s dashboard allows you to visualize traffic and sales information to make informed decisions.
• Growth-boosting solutions: From mobile-ready designs and advanced analytics to DIY and done-for-you marketing solutions, PinnacleCart has proprietary tools that help shop owners grow.

Pricing:

Choose from a free plan, Standard plan $79.95 per month, Advanced $199.95 per month, and Enterprise plan, which has customized pricing

Best for:

Growth-focused eCommerce businesses.

8. Volusion

Top Features:

• Comprehensive customer support: Combining resources and on-hand customer service agents, Volusion helps users get set up and poised for success in eCommerce.
• Fraud defense solution: To protect stores from eCommerce cybercrime, Volusion offers a ground-breaking solution called Fraud Score which analyzes credit cards based on email risk, IP address, banking information, and customer information.
• Extensive features dashboard: Run reports, check your CRM, track orders, study inventory levels, and more, all in one place.
• Security measures: Volusion also implements security measures like SSL certificates to encrypt stored data and tighten up defenses.
• Marketing tool suite: Whether you prefer to sell via SEO or want to experiment with affiliate marketing, Volusion has got you covered. Pick from their customized marketing tools and get started.

Pricing:

Volusion is $35 per month for the Personal Plan, $79 per month for the Professional plan, and $299 per month for the Business plan. Save 10% by paying annually.

Best for:

Data-focused eCommerce businesses

9. Zyro

Top Features:

• No-code website builder: Zyro is a no-code website builder backed by AI solutions that give users a competitive edge. Don’t have a coding background? You can still create customized storefront websites with Zyro’s drag-and-drop website builders and themes. If you like to code, Zyro also allows you to add custom code and edit their CSS.
• AI-backed eCommerce solutions: Tap into Zyro’s AI Image Scaler, Business Name Generator, Slogan Generator, AI Writer, Logo Maker, and more to take your business content assets from good to great.
• Large payments network: Zyro facilitates 70+ payment providers, including point of sale, Cash On Demand, and intermediaries like PayPal.
• Omnichannel fulfillment options: Whether your customers prefer to Buy Online Pickup Instore (BIPOS) or want their order shipped to their home by a specific shipping carrier, Zyro’s expansive fulfillment features can help.
• Multichannel selling and marketing solutions: Sell on marketplaces like eBay and Amazon, advertise on ad channels like Facebook and Google, engage in social selling, take up blogging and recover abandoned carts on Zyr’s Business and Advanced plans.

Pricing:

$11.99 per month for the Website plan and $14.99 for the Business plan.

Best for:

Marketing enthusiasts and omnichannel brands.

Need to revamp your fulfillment process? Discover how MyFBAPrep can get help.

10.OpenCart

Top Features:

• Flexible eCommerce store management systems: OpenCart has built a solid reputation as a simple yet powerful (and free!) open-source platform to craft enticing stores.
• Unlimited products, manufacturers, and categories: Whether you sell digital products or physical goods, OpenCart can host your goods. You can also upload endless products and manufacturers
• eCommerce tool marketplace: Use OpenCart’s growing list of payment gateways (20+), plugins, themes, and integrations to set your store apart.
• Multilingual platform: Choose from 40 different languages on OpenCart’s latest version to give shoppers an “at home” feeling.
• Multistore option: Run different stores from one dashboard. You can even select different themes, names, designs, and pricing for each.
• Marketing suite: Use tools like discount codes, affiliate systems, and analytics to execute effective, data-driven campaigns.

Pricing:

It’s free!

Best for:

Businesses with web design experience and large product portfolios

11. Squarespace

Top Features:

• Powerful, rich tools: From award-winning templates to font galleries, Squarespace offers a comprehensive tool stack to help craft your online store.
• Highly customizable designs: Combine features like mobile-optimized layouts, adjustable text backgrounds, and block layering features to create an aesthetically pleasing store that drives conversions.
• 24/7 live customer support: SquareSpace takes customer care seriously. So much so its round-the-clock customer service has won awards and raving customer reviews.
• Powerful marketing solutions: Broaching SEO, analytics, and much more Squarespace’s solutions ensure users understand how their marketing initiatives are performing to make guide their decision-making.
• Extensive integration: Whether you want to link your CRM or email marketing software, there’s a chance SquareSpace has integration for it as they continue to add to their extensive list.

Pricing:

It’s $23 per month for the personal plan, $33 per month for the Business plan, $36 per month for the Commerce Basic plan, and $65 per month for the Commerce Advanced plan. Save 30% by paying annually.

Best for:

Design-centric businesses with small collections.

12. WooCommerce

Top Features:

• Flexible infrastructure: WooCommerce’s headless commerce build means designing and adjusting store setup is quick and easy.
• Large payment options: Access a large selection of payment options, including credit card payments, bank transfers, cash on delivery, check, and over 140 territory-specific payment gateways.
• Streamlined backend operations: Access an intuitive Inventory and order management dashboard, along with live freight costs and automated tax calculations. WooCommerce also offers a mobile app so users can process orders on the go.
• Cross-border selling features: Use multilingual content and pricing in different currencies to set your store up for international success
• Inclusive product allowances: Whether you sell digital or physical products, you can use WooCommerce to drive sales
• Jetpack integration for enhanced security: You have the option to implement Jetpack to secure your website, verify customer logins, and prevent cyberattacks.

Pricing:

WooCommerce is free to use. However, you’ll pay for add on like domains and premium tools.

Best for:

WordPress users seeking eCommerce solutions.

13. Square

Top Features:

• Conversion boost payment tech stack: Businesses big and small can tap into a wide selection of payment solutions to close sales, including digital and plastic gift cards, invoicing, cashless payments, card detail storage, digital wallet payments, and Google Pay and Apple Pay.
• Transparent, uncomplicated transaction pricing: You can look forward to standardized transaction fees across cards, seasons, and channels.
• Payment and fraud protections: Fight against cyber attacks with Square’s comprehensive defenses encompassing encrypted payments, security monitoring, multi-factor authentication from accounts, and more.
• Fast pay-outs: Square allows you to transfer payments to your bank account after one business day for free or pay a small fee to get instant transfers,

Pricing:

The point-of-sale option has zero monthly fees, order processing charges are 2.6% of the sale price + 10 ¢. Per tap, swipe, or dip.

Buy Now Pay Later options cost 2.6% of the transaction price + 10 ¢ in-person and 6% + 30 ¢ online.

Best for:

Retailers with an online presence.

14. Lightspeed

Top Features:

• Unlimited, 24/7 customer service: Lightspeed has a reputation for providing excellent customer service. Alongside the on-hand support, as a Lightspeed customer, you’ll get one-to-one onboarding, webinars, and training to help grow your business.
• Integrated payments: Choose a range of payment options to serve your customers and business’s needs, including cash, mobile, and omnichannel payments.
• Customer engagement and conversion rate optimization tools: Manage relationships, boost sales and drive with customer management tools like status allocation,s (e.g., VIP, employee), omnichannel gift cards, CRM tools, customer account creation feature,  Customer Lifetime Value calculations, and customer sales history.
• Omnichannel selling tools: Ensure your sales channels operate in sync with one inventory system for all platforms, integrated reporting, branding features, centralized customer data management, and social selling opportunities.
• Manage your store on the go: With Lightspeed’s cloud-backed solution, mobile inventory management feature, simplified employee training platform, and mobile POS, you can show customers your wares and move till to them.

Pricing:

For its eCommerce solution, Lightspeed offers a free plan, its Venture plan for $14.08 per month, and its Business plan for $29.08 per month and $82.50 per month.

Best for:

Omnichannel sellers.

B2B eCommerce platforms

15. NuORDER

Top Features:

• Product showcasing tools: Amp up your online visual merchandising with product collections, online catalogs, and virtual showrooms on par with the best B2C eCommerce stores.
• Appointment setting features: Use NuORDER’s those all-important meetings and close more accounts. For example, the custom list creator helps shoppers visualize their purchases and adjust their collections accordingly. You can also create reports and track sales performance.
• Proposal generator and line sheet templates: Make it easy for B2B shoppers to say “yes” to the sale with sleek proposals and customizable line sheets.
• Order management: Users can create, edit, copy, and ship orders all from the NuORDER platform. You can also access the platform offline.

Pricing:

Prices start from $600 per month. Contact NuORDER for a quote.

Best for:

Medium to large B2B eCommerce stores.

16. Pepperi

Top Features:

• All-inclusive B2B eCommerce solution: Pepperi has everything you need to get a profitable wholesale store running, including a website-building application, integrated payment solutions, custom reporting, and accurate insights.
• Sales-driving tools: This platform is designed to help users upgrade sale acquisition, average order value, and increase margins. Pick from Salesforce integrations, mobile order-taking apps, and mobile CRM to product bundling promotion features along with personalized cross-sell and up-sell tools.
• Omnichannel trade promotion: makes it easy for field reps and sales reps to close deals across channels and territories.
• Integration with back-office tools: Link Pepperi with cloud or on-premise ERP and back-office systems to empower field agents and sales reps with the data and tools they need. Users can also access the tools and platform offline across all devices. You can also expand Pepperi’s third-party solutions to cover tasks like shipment tracking, payments, and business intelligence.

Pricing:

Contact Pepperi to get a customized quote.

Best for:

Medium to enterprise-sized wholesale businesses.

17. CS-Cart

Top Features:

• Complete eCommerce website builder solution: Crafted with data-backed decision-making and user experience flexibility as its foundation, store owners can take advantage of its tool stack to drive significant results.
• MVP Marketplace creator: Want to start an eCommerce marketplace? CS-Cart will give you the necessary tools and platform to make your goal a reality with a minimum viable product. For instance, users can access a mobile app, 500 (and counting) marketplace features, simplified vendor onboarding, a shopping cart, and no code user interface.
• Headless eCommerce platform: For brands that want to level up their eCommerce brand, CS-Cart offers a flexible platform to design and host their store. You can also onboard CS-Cart’s open-source shopping cart software and mobile app software
• Enterprise marketplace platform: CS-Cart empowers large brands eager to create a marketplace with their scalable, high-capacity enterprise marketplace solution. You can also upload unlimited products and sellers to drive growth.
• Custom marketplace: Work with CS-Cart to craft a tailored marketplace, minus the stressful code and platform build, which they’ll take care of.

Pricing:

CS-Cart’s code option is $75 per month, Pro $125 per month, and Advanced for $235 per month when billed annually.

Best for:

Businesses setting up a marketplace.

Online marketplaces

18. Etsy

Top Features:

• Affordable prices and a simple fee structure: Upload listings for as little as $0.20 and no additional monthly fees. Transactions incur a 6.5%. Sellers can also access bonus listing and advertising credits when subscribed to the Plus plan. The offsite ad fee is also fair at 15%, as you only pay when you make a sale from the ad.
• Handmade product requirement: When you’re a creative, handmade business competing against the big conglomerates with endless factory-made products can be tough. But not on Etsy; you have to make the goods yourself to sell on the platform. Plus, you can sell physical or digital items.
• Powerful business tools: Etsy’s tools equip users to operate, market, and scale their store from anywhere, including a customizable web address, store design features, Etsy ads, various payments, the Etsy Sellers App, social promotion tools, and store analytics.
• Shipping discounts: Thanks to Etsy’s partnerships with reputable shipping companies, sellers can print and use discounted shipping labels.

Pricing:

The free standard plan, only pay per listing ($0.20). The Plus plan is $10 per month.

Best for:

Hand-craft businesses and creatives.

19. Amazon

Top Features:

• Amazon FBA: The world-renowned FBA service enables sellers to tap into a network of warehouses and fulfillment centers around the globe. This benefit makes allows brands fulfillment hands-free and scale faster.
• Brand protection: Amazon takes intellectual property (IP) seriously and has many initiatives to fight fake goods and fraud, including the Counterfeiting Crime Unit. Trademarked brands can apply for the Brand registry program. Once onboarded, they will access tools like Transparency barcodes, an IP violation reporting tool, an automated IP protection tool, and a self-service brand protection solution, Project Zero.
• Global selling network: Selling in one territory but want to take your business global? Amazon allows you to store goods in one territory and ship to multiple countries under its Global selling network for a more affordable rate.
• Multichannel fulfillment (MCF): For brands that sell on multiple sites, MCF helps streamline fulfillment by using Amazon’s fulfillment services to ship goods.
• New seller incentives: Access discounted services and tools as a newbie to the platform to make your resources stretch a little further and increase your odds of success.
• Amazon ads: Use Amazon’s extensive ad network to launch and scale your products and brand.

Pricing:

Amazon’s Individual Plan costs $0.99 per listing plus a referral fee the Professional plan costs $39.99 per month plus a referral fee. Sellers can also incur shipping and storage fees if they use the FBA service.

Best for:

Brands wanting to eliminate fulfillment and scale worldwide.

20. Walmart

Top Features:

• No monthly or set-up fees: Instead, you’ll pay a commission fee depending on the product you sell, which ranges between 6% – 20%
• High-volume marketplace: Leverage Walmart’s 120 million per month site visitors to get your brand noticed.
• Business scaling tools: Learn how to sell effectively and grow your reach and sales with Walmart’s advertising tool suite, including Sponsored Search ads, catalog management, and brand management solutions.
• Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS): If managing fulfillment isn’t your strong point or you need the time to scale, look to WFS to store, ship, and facilitate returns
• A simplified application and onboarding process: Get up and running and learn the ropes quickly with Walmart’s streamlined onboarding process and learning resources.

Pricing:

No monthly fees. Pay a referral fee on each sale, depending on the item.

Best for:

Established brands and multichannel sellers.

Supercharge your growth with powerful eCommerce platforms

And there you have it! 20 alternatives to Shopify. Whatever solution you opt for next, it’s important to determine fit before you partner up. List each of the business goals and needs, then compare each eCommerce platform’s features and benefits to decide which is the best fit. Test small and adjust your approach based on the data, and you, too, can add multiple stores to your eCommerce empire. Good luck!

Want a tried and tested way to increase your fulfillment strategy’s efficiency? Speak with a MyFBAPrep expert

This is a guest post from Lesley Hensell. Lesley is co-founder and co-owner of Riverbend Consulting, which solves Amazon problems for third-party sellers and vendors. Lesley has personally helped hundreds of third-party sellers get their accounts and ASINs back up and running. She has been an Amazon seller for more than a decade, thanks to her boys (21 and 15) who do most of the heavy lifting.

Amazon account suspended? Welcome to one of every sellers’ worst nightmare.

No Amazon seller wants to wake up to the harrowing message: your seller account has been deactivated.

Unfortunately, this is a reality for sellers every day. But there are steps you can take to try and get reinstated quickly. And even better, you can proactively work to protect your account – right now.

Let’s explore both.

Got suspended? Follow these 6 steps first.

1. Take a deep breath. Too often, the reinstatement process is made more difficult by the actions a suspended seller takes in the first hour after suspension. Don’t ask Amazon why they suspended you. Don’t send in an appeal that simply says, “I didn’t do anything wrong.” Don’t lash out at Amazon, use profanity, or go on the attack. And don’t start spamming Amazon. None of these tactics are going to help. Breathe in. Breathe out. Clear your mind and prepare to fight smart.
2. Determine the root cause of your suspension. Examine the account data. Are there buyer complaints or excessive returns? Interview the team. Did someone break Amazon’s rules? Come to an honest conclusion. Where were mistakes made?
3. Write an effective Plan of Action (POA). Amazon wants the plan in three parts. Explain the root cause and why it occurred, including a statement of responsibility. Detail steps that were taken to remediate the problem, such as replacement products, refunds, or apologies. Describe the measures taken to ensure the same mistakes do not recur. These must be measurable and time-bound.
4. Submit the appeal and wait. This is the tough part. It’s difficult waiting. Hopefully, the account will be reinstated in a timely manner. If it’s not?
5. Reach out to Account Health Services (AHS). AHS can be contacted via the Account Health page. Sometimes, these agents can explain why the appeal was rejected, or when you might expect a response. Take their advice with a grain of salt, however. The advice is not always accurate.
6. Find a professional to escalate. If you’re unable to understand the suspension or craft a winning appeal, bring in the pros. They can ensure your POA is accurate, on-point, and provides the remedies Amazon needs to see. In addition, a qualified professional should be able to help you escalate to executives and teams inside of Amazon, if necessary.

How to avoid suspension? Here’s what to do.

In late 2022, Amazon changed the way it enforces against sellers. It devised a strategy that is based on a numerical formula called the Account Health Rating (AHR). On each seller’s Account Health page, you can find the AHR and see any defects causing a reduction in your score. A score over 200 is considered “healthy.” The score can rise as high as 1,000 if the account has significant sales volume and minimal defects.

All defects should be appealed. Why? If a seller is suddenly hit with a harsh violation (imagine 30 intellectual complaints from the same brand but for different ASINs), your seller account could immediately be in danger of suspension. This is especially true if you already had a number of unaddressed violations dragging down the score.

Do the following to keep your account healthy under this new regime:

1. Appeal everything. No matter the defect type, address it. The goal is to have it removed and increase your score.
2. Do not “agree” with Amazon’s accusation, just to make the defect go away. In some cases, Amazon allows sellers to “agree” with the violation. Yes, the seller’s AHR goes up. But the seller can never again sell the product in question. If they make a mistake and sell the item again? A harsh Code of Conduct violation could be the result.
3. Only “agree” if you are guilty and have no hope of appeal. For example, you cannot appeal an inauthentic accusation if you do not have invoices. But only “agree” if you are in this kind of extreme circumstance.
4. Stay all over intellectual property (IP) violations. The “suspected IP” category is one of the most frustrating. Ignore it at your peril. For the first time, Amazon is suspending accounts for suspected IPs. Do the work to clear these violations, or find a company that can help you.
5. Make sure your team knows the rules. Too many third-party sellers are unaware of Amazon’s extensive web of regulations. For example, many drop-shippers had no idea they could not sell items and fulfill orders from other online retailers – and it cost them their accounts. Other sellers did not realize that liquidation inventory is not welcome on Amazon – even if it came from the Amazon fulfillment centers.

Amazon account suspended? Don’t panic

Account suspensions are costly and stressful undertakings, but there are steps you can take to remedy it. And if you’re one of the lucky sellers who have yet to deal with a suspension, start putting in preventative measures today.